Zachary and the Flickers
by Flerovium
Summary: Sequel to Zachary the Overlander. On an expedition to the Uncharted lands Zachary discovers a new species, the Flickers. Second Fanfic. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Being in a dungeon for three days with people like Ripred gives you plenty of time to start hating them, as so happened to me. To pass the time I do a few force tricks. Such as rubbing molecules in the air together to create a glowing ball of plasma, in other words a mini-star of sorts. I decided to try to create a true star by getting fusion to start-up in the core of the plasma ball. The result is that it works but apparently I did a little too well because shortly after the whole damn thing went supernova. The force-shield I had up to protect against the radiation of the star I made strained against the force of the supernova, which is so bright that it can be seen even with our eyes closed.

"Impressive," comments Ripred once the nova dissipated.

"That was an accident," I reply back.

"An impressive accident." the rat mumbles back.

Just then the door opens and an underlander runs in and says, "General Byford! Queen Luxa has been captured and we found a scroll that says that in the case of her capture or death to instate you as the new leader of Regalia. Here you can read it yourself." She hands me a scroll. Written on it is:

_**This is my attempt at a will. In the case of my capture or death the city is to be given over to Zachary Byford. I believe he is to be a great king. All else is to be given to hazard only in the case of my death.**_

_**-Luxa**_


	2. Chapter 2

The coronation was three days later. Once the crowd found out who their new leader was, almost everybody protested against the fact that their new king was an Overlander, but soon the guards had everything under control. After the coronation there was a large feast where Ripred was eating like he hadn't had any good food in days which is probably true since he been trapped in the dungeon for three days. My first order as king was to send an expedition into the Uncharted lands. While at base camp just inside the map boundary I decide to go with one expedition. A New Republic General tells me to take an experimental bow that the New Republic is working on along with my bows. At a camp that was put up to map the course so far, we hear a low barely audible hissing sound. It abruptly stops and two minutes later a large 20 foot Salvadori's Monitor emerges from a nearby tunnel. A series of hissing sounds issues from its mouth.

"What is it saying?" I ask the translator of the expedition.

"It is telling us to put down our weapons. It comes in peace." replies the translator

"Yessss I come in peace. I have never seen your kind around here," It says English.

"How do you speak our language?" I ask inquisitively.

"Many other species from your lands come through here. We have gone through the trouble to learn their language to better communicate with them."

"Welcome I am Zachary Byford the current king of the humans. You may call me Zach. Do you have a name?"

"I am General Ivpikis of our exploratory army."

"Your kind need a common name how about the Flickers."

"Flickers, very good I like it."

"I must introduce you to our Queen."

"Lead the way. Follow on foot."

After a good two hour walk we come to a large cavern.

"Queen Firriwung I have travelers from a species known as the Humans. I have brought them to meet you," calls Ivpikis.

"Yesssssss, generaaaaal. What are theeeese?" says a untraceable voice.

"These are humans and fliers. Why don't you show yourself to them they are harmless," replies Ivpikis.

A striking black and gold Flicker comes out of the shadows, apparently queen Firriwung.

"Welcome to our lands. I am Queen Firriwung, you may call me Firra."

"I am Zachary Byford you may call me Zach. I would like to request a representative to take to Regalia so I may introduce your kind to the council."

"Permission granted. You may take Ivpikis to introduce."

Another three hours later we get to base camp and board the _Phantom _a small shuttle that is the same size as the average flier and fly to Regalia.


	3. Chapter 3

The introduction of Ivpikis to the council was very boring. All the meeting consisted of was council members asking general questions about his species. Even though I learned a lot about the Flickers, I couldn't help but be glad when the boring meeting finally ended. While I was walking our guest to his assigned quarters we hear horns blow. I listened to the pattern, it was the one for an unknown army approaching the walls.

"Ivpikis, I think you may be of help because there is an unknown army approaching the East wall. You may be able to identify them," I address him.

"So that is what those horns mean? How do you plan to get me there?" he responds.

"You will find out once I visit the armory. Follow." I get to the nearest armory with lightning speed and ask for the armor that I wore on the quest to rescue my current bond. I then move quickly to the High Hall, with Ivpikis struggling to keep up.

"You still haven't told me how you are going to get me to your East wall."

"Right," I then switch to my bat form, "Get on." Once he is on my back I immediately take to the air where I meet up with Marble. Once at the wall I tell Ivpikis to dismount and change back to my human form. He then immediately speaks up with, "You are correct, I can identify them they are known as the Ssi. I believe you overlanders call them Komodo Dragons. They have been our enemies for several generations." as I take in the close, orderly ranks of what are apparently Ssi for the first time. The obvious leader of the Ssi speaks up in perfect english, "Ah, you are obviously the king here," he stares right at me, "Your lands seem very nice so we have come to negotiate for them. If you refuse my army here will attack, overwhelm ,and then take your lands."

"What will your terms be?" I ask

"Thought you would never ask." He motions with an arm and a group of guards with shinier armor then the rest bring two bound prisoners, a female human and a bat, that are so unkempt that it takes a while for anyone to recognize them. Oddly I am the first to recognize them "Luxa! Aurora!" I shout.

"So you know them. Well they are the negotiation price. So do we have a deal?"

"No! We do not have a deal. You will not have our lands."

"So you chose war?"

"If it will keep you from taking the city, then yes. Bow and rifle men, Fire!" and with that order the Regalian bowmen and New Republic riflemen fire into the the Ssi front line taking out many, "New Republic ground troops and all human-flier teams! Go! Go! Go!" just before I mount Marble a heavily bleeding scout and her flier, with a patch of fur torn from the front of it's throat, come to a more or less crash-landing on the wall.

"Many," gasped the human, "Many Gnawers, a whole army coming from the Northeast." and with that she falls dead over her flier, who died from the force of the impact with the wall.

"See that these two are given a proper funeral, and see to it that the reinforcements in the farmlands are readied for instant action." After that I get a group of soldiers together "Mount up!"

"Sir, where are we going?" asks a soldier innocently.

"To scout out the Gnawer army and hopefully behead that serpent before it gets here." I answer.

"In other words, find and kill the leader of those Gnawers before they get here." translates Marble.

"Yes, pretty much." I respond.


	4. Chapter 4

The gnawer army is so close that in less than ten to fifteen minutes we run into it. We take cover on a ledge about a mile ahead of them. Deciding that a light will attract unwanted attention I use a combination of the force and echolocation to keep tabs on them.

"Can any of you tell who the leader is?" I ask aloud but at a whisper.

"There are too many rats to tell," responds one and the rest agree with him.

"Well not too many for the force," I respond proudly. I reach out in the force and probe a couple minds. It doesn't take long to find the leader.

"Found them," I whisper aloud, "No it cant be."

"Yes it is, Goldencoat." responds Marble

"I thought I killed her!" I exclaim in a low voice.

"Apparently not," comments a soldier sarcastically. Who gets nothing in response but a cold stare from me.

"Well target identified. How about we attack now?" responds a different soldier.

"We will, once they are directly beneath us." I answer. Ten minutes later the army is directly under the ledge. My entire group swoops down and ambushes them, killing many.

"I'll take the leader!" I announce to my team. With that I jump off Marble and land directly in front of Goldencoat, surprising her.

"General Byford ,I thought I killed you and your bat," She says coming out of her temporary stunned surprise.

"I could say the same thing about you. Oh and by the way, it takes a lot to kill me," I respond drawing my blades.

"That was my sword that you took from me and I would like it back," She says recognizing the Black Diamond sword. With that she lunges at me. The fight somehow finds it's way to the battlefield against the Ssi. Where the other gnawers are already going for the wall. Out of nowhere four diggers tunnel out of the cavern wall outside the east wall followed by another army of Gnawers and many Separatist tank droids. From somewhere on the field Goldencoat picks up a sword and starts coming at me like an experienced soldier and I can tell that I am fighting a whole new level of opponent. Many human-flier teams attempt to help me but wind up sliced and diced by her sword. The republic troops are saving many by going for the tank droids. After a thirty minute fight, and getting many wounds such as a claw to my calf that almost pours blood, I finally knock her out but I don't kill her because she was such a good opponent. Once I mount Marble and get to the wall the Republic troops are unable to destroy a tank droid that is hammering the wall. After the fifth hit the wall crumbles, nearly taking Marble and I with it. Soldiers of both the Ssi and Gnawers pour into the farmlands. The Ssi fight their way through the hundreds of reinforcements. We are helpless as the Ssi plant what looks like C4 on the inner wall and blow it to rubble.

"Take the city!" calls the Second-in-Command of the Gnawers, apparently finding out about the knocking out of Goldencoat. All underland and Republic soldiers start to fight the hardest they've ever fought. Out of the gradually dimming darkness an entire squadron of Republic _Aurek_-class tactical strikefighters, modified for subterranean flight and combat comes in and starts picking off both Ssi and Gnawers with their laser cannons, saving us all from destruction.

Once they land, wings folded, in the High Hall I ask the nearest soldier whom is just leaving his cockpit, "Who's idea was this? I want to congratulate them."

"It was his idea sir," responds the pilot gesturing to the fighter that landed first with its cockpit still closed.

"Get me him on your fighter's comlink,"

"Yes sir. He is on."

"Soldier identify yourself."

"Well I'm more of a legend," says an unmistakable voice.

"Ripred?"

"Yep it's me."

"Good plan."

"Yeah it was brilliant, wasn't it?"

"Why are you still in there?'

"As embarrassing as it is, I'm sort of stuck."

I barely manage to resist the impulse to start laughing at that.


	5. Chapter 5

Once Ripred is finally gotten out Cassiopeia, Queen Athena's Second-in-Command, comes in for a hurried landing, and spills everything at a barely followable fast pace, "There has been a gnawer attack on our lands. The Queen has been captured. Just before she got taken away by the gnawers, but after they had her, she left a message asking for you to rule for her until she can be retrieved."

I immediately turn to my flier form, because Marble is currently helping clean up, "Take me there," I tell Cassiopeia. I turn to Ripred and tell him, "If Marble asks for me tell her where I am."

"I will," responds the rat. During the flight I let my bat instincts kick in while I go into deep thought about when this will end. In that state of deep thought I attempt to answer my question I retreat into the force, at least my human side does, but instead I feel a strong concentration it takes a while to figure out that It is Cassiopeia and that she is strong in the force. I sample some of her feelings to see if it is true. It is but I feel something else as well, love, she is in love with my flier form. "Shouldn't we be there by now?" I wonder but I don't worry about it. After a full day we are finally at the flier's lands. I take my flier form back from it's instincts. I take a look around and notice loads and loads of carnage everywhere. It is nearly bedlam in the aftermath of the attack.

"Calm, calm, we have a new leader." calls Cassiopeia. Amazingly everything calms down at the news. The announcement brings many bats to the pitted, laser charred, central column to report to me on the condition of the lands.

I nearly get overwhelmed, "Stop, stop. You get a group together and start cleaning up the dead fliers and allies. You get some help and take the wounded to Regalia, and that group dump the dead rats in the river."

"Wow you handled that well, better than I could." comments Cassiopeia

"Yeah, thanks I am just a natural leader especially when overwhelmed. So where do I sleep? I am exhausted."

"Well we usually sleep on the ceiling, but there are royal caves if you prefer quiet or don't like to be too warm."

"Lead me to 'em."

"Right this way. Follow me." After about half an hour of following Cassiopeia we come to a set of very elegant caverns overlooking a beautiful lake.

"Wow pretty. This will do. Where you going to sleep?"

"In the cave with the rest."

"Oh okay." After she leaves I decide to take a flight around the lake not realizing how tired I am. I had fallen half-asleep when Marble catches me in her claws just before I hit the lake. The jolt wakes me up and once she gets back to the royal chambers she puts me down.

"You need to learn how to tell when you are too tired to fly if you are to be a flier. Next time I may not be there to save your life, and in addition your maneuvers are sloppy so you must learn to fly properly as well," scolds Marble, "but you are too tired currently you must rest."

"You look tired you shouldn't try to fly back to the rest. So stay for the night."

"I do not much like the cold."

"Come on we have fur and it is not like you're alone. At least one other warm body is here."

"You do have a point."

"Yeah, and you can teach me how to fly around the lake tomorrow."

"Very good idea." with that she curls up against me and falls asleep and I soon follow.


	6. Chapter 6

****Authors note: Hope you been loving this sequel. Please Read & Review.****

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><p>Marbles P.O.V.<p>

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><p>It appears that Zachary sleeps a lot for a king and in a strange position, on his belly with his wings under his head. I hear the flapping of wings and I turn to find Cassiopeia walking into the cave.<p>

"Is he not awake?" she comments

"Yes he is still asleep," I answer, "I have tried to wake him but he is a _very _heavy sleeper."

"Why don't I give it a try."

"I seriously doubt you can but have fun." I reply moving out of the way. She tried everything I did including some I didn't even think of but to no avail.

"Well he is definitely alive, but you are right he is an _extremely _heavy sleeper." Cassiopeia tells me after fifteen minutes of trying to wake him up. At that moment another set of flapping wings bringing our attention to the cave entrance where Aurora was landing with Queen Luxa and Mercury.

"I see you are well. I was worried you had not survived." I say truthfully.

"Is this what our new king does all day?" asks Aurora glaring at my bond.

"Oh, this?" asks Luxa, "Zach loves to sleep, once he slept an hour into the afternoon. When he gets the chance. I know this from experience, and I will note he is sleeping in the same position as he does in human form."

"But we have tried everything we can to wake him," says Cassiopeia.

"He is quite a heavy sleeper," replies Luxa casually.

"We have surmised that much." I respond somewhat sarcastically.

"Well I can wake him," says Luxa picking up three palm-sized stones.

"Go right ahead, Cassiopeia and I have already tried."

"Did you try this?" she asks while throwing the stone to land directly next to his ear with a loud clatter that made all the bats cringe. "How about this." she says to nobody in particular while doing the same thing except the stone lands next his other ear with the same sound as before. Then as he doesn't wake up she throws the last stone which hits him directly on the head with a low thump.

"Was that really necessary Luxa?" asks Zach with an amazingly normal tone even though she just hit him in the head with a rock.

"Yes, it was necessary for it is time for your flying lessons." I reply.

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><p><strong>Authors note: Hope you loved this chapter from Marble's P.O.V. hope you learned a lot about her. You will see her a lot in future chapters. Have a good day and Thanks for watching. Please Read &amp; Review.<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

****Authors note: Hope you loved the last chapter.****

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><p>"I will demonstrate the proper maneuvers now. Watch me from that ledge with Mercury." says Marble as she takes off around flipping and turning around the lake. While we are watching I feel, through the force, an overwhelming amount of love coming from Mercury towards Marble.<p>

"Dude shes too old for you and she is my bond. So no." I say to Mercury.

"Well a young flier can dream, can't he?" he responds.

"Well one sure can," I say out loud. Once Marble heads out in her laps I mutter to Mercury, "Be careful she can be a mean one. Good luck."

"Zachary it time for instruction. Come with me." says Marble. I follow her out over the lake. Where she shouts at me about my flaws and she pushes me without letting me rest at all. Getting pissed at being pushed I try to tell her to dial it down but she doesn't listen. In response I get as high above her as the ceiling will let me and dive down from above which she didn't see coming, because she was too busy scolding me, and hit her in the head with my wing.

"I said stop pushing me," I tell Marble sternly.

"What the hell!" she almost hollers.

"It was the only way to get your attention."

"Why didn't you ask?"

"I tried but you where too busy being a bitch!"

"I was not!"

"Typical response."

"It was not a typical response."

"I need some cool-down time." I then take off into the tunnels no destination in mind.

"Go ahead run away you will be back eventually!" she hollers after me.

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><p>Luxa's POV<p>

"That was some fight," I commented as Marble lands

"Leave me alone," she said gruffly while entering the royal caverns. A day later Marble tells me that he left his weapons and supply backpack and holds up the items. The fact that he is nowhere to be found brings me to Ripred who I think would be able to track him. Even though he pushes the fact that he is nobody's first choice for it, he soon gets a lead.

"Now, who is going to carry me? Our strongest flier just went missing," he comments.

"Ummm….. How about Mercury. He is strong," suggests Luxa.

"Okay sure."

About a day later they hadn't got as far as they should have.

"You guys are to slow. I'm going after him myself. Have fun catching up," speaks up Cassiopeia in the silence of a camp, and she then takes off in the direction they had been going.

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><p>Zachary's POV (flier form)<p>

I had managed to get at least to the firelands when I get ambushed by a pack of fifteen Gnawers, one of which immediately tears a foot-long rip in one of my wings. I go to draw my weapon and realize that I left everything behind. I then revert to using my claws and talons, which are not very effective against rats. I manage to take down fourteen rather rapidly. The last remaining rat tears a chunk of fur from the front of my neck. I barely manage to land on my belly without extra injury. In less than a minute I lose consciousness from blood loss.

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><p><strong>Authors note: Please review. Have a great day and thanks for reading.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Hope you liked the last chapter. Please review.**

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><p>Cassiopeia's POV<p>

While I am hopelessly lost with no hope of finding a way out I decide to rest on a ledge. "Where can he be?" I ask myself, as if in answer there is a brief shimmer then a semi-transparent version of Zach, in flier form. He says, "I know you are looking for me. Use the force and you will find me, once you reach your center of calm of course."

"Zach is that you?" I ask cautiously.

"Yes it is me. I am using a force technique that allows me to use the force to escape the confines of my physical body and be anywhere in the universe and in any time, but the future."

"So your body is dead?"

"No it is in a state of deep Jedi meditation."

"Oh, What do you mean by use the force?"

"You are strong in the force, but you don't know it." and with that the manifestation dissolves.

"Wait explain. What do you mean I am strong in the force," but there is no answer. I decide to give it a try and even though it takes a while I start to be able to feel his location. About an hour later I start to hear fighting near by. I hear rats but no swords, when I am going to investigate I get blasted with amazingly powerful pain and I can tell something bad has happened to him. I continue to head in to investigate even though the last of the rats is dead, judging by the sudden silence. I then come out into the huge cavern that makes up the firelands and there in the light of a volcano laying unconscious is Zachary. It appears that he he has a foot-long tear in his wing and when I pick him up to carry him back to Regalia I notice both that there is a lot of blood in his fur and that there is a chunk of fur missing from the front of his neck. I run into Luxa and her party on the way back. She takes one look at my load and tells Aurora to help me amazingly we then get back in record time, a day and a half. Once we get him to the hospital we stay behind with him.

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><p>Zachary's POV<p>

When I come to the first thing I notice is that I am in the Regalian hospital next I notice Cassiopeia standing at the foot of my bed.

"I see you have awakened. I have some fliers I want you to meet. See steps aside revealing two young fliers one with a mottled, multi-colored coat and one with a red coat.

"Who are these young ones," I ask politely.

"They are my children."

"Good job. Who is their father?"

"Well see for yourself. The DNA test results are on your bedside table." I grab them and once I read it my only response is "This can't be true!"

"It is true, you are their father. Or rather your flier form is."


	9. Chapter 9

"Great I let the flier instincts take over once and I become a father". Out loud I say "So what is their names?" I was hoping you would help me name them," she responded.

"Well her coat looks somewhat like a moon around the fifth planet in this system so let us name her Io. His coat looks like the fourth planet in the same system so let us name him Mars."

"I like those names so I agree to them."

"Okay so it is set those are to be their names. How about a home cave for them. Where will it be?"

"I already got one planned out?"

"OK why not?" About a week later I am released from the hospital but into Luxa's authority, to make sure I am well. Later that day, while dining with Luxa, Aurora, and hazard I get a terrible feeling through the force, "Gnawers are going to attack the cave Cassiopeia picked out. I can sense it" I tell Luxa.

"You cannot return, besides the gnawers are not stupid enough to even try. The caves are well guarded." she replies.

"The force has not been wrong yet."

"There is a first thing for everything."

"Hey! I am the only one who ever said that. Why are you using my own words against me?"

"I am only stating a fact."

"There you go again!"

"Whoa, I think this is about to get violent." says a voice from the door. I don't even have to turn my head to know Ripred is coming up behind me. "Am I correct in saying that I smell love in here?"

"Possibly." I can only sigh because that was another thing I would say.

"Oh, and I heard the news that your bat form is a father. Congrats."

"Yeah I just let the bat instincts take over and I wind up with kids," I mumble.

"It would seem so. Oh, your highness, if he says he senses something then let him act on it, especially if it's his family, but as you don't have much of one I don't expect you to know that. Come one kid lets go help defend them." When we get there Marble is already helping to fight the gnawers. It seems the battle group killed the guards ahead of time, then attacked. When I am about to jump into the battle, in my human form, I see a rat with a familiar golden coat, "Shit, Goldencoat is leading them." I tell Ripred who, along with me, makes a beeline to Goldencoat and stands right in front of her.

"Goldencoat? I thought you died when the Garden of Hesperides flooded." he comments.

"You know her?" I ask him.

"Know her? She was my mate. We had pups for crying out loud." he responded. I could only gape.


	10. Chapter 10

"Your mate?!" I ask surprised.

"Yes!" he responded

"Well I've fought her twice already. Oh, and are you aware that she was the Bane's grand mother and Goldshard's mother."

"Oh really, now after I thought you drowned and then you became someone else's mate?"

"Yes, that pretty much sums it up," she says nonchalantly.

"I must stop her, or chase her away at the least ."

"No! She could be turned to our cause."

"She has been taken over by the dark side. She is too far gone to be turned to the light side."

"No! No, she hasn't!"

"Your love for her has blinded you, fogged your mind."

"I'm getting tired of all this Jedi speak," and with that both Ripred and Goldencoat lunge for me. I barely manage to get out my Black Diamond sword and the Emerald dagger to block the attack. I can feel the rager sensation starting to bubble up and I fight to keep it down, because it was tainted by the dark side of the force when I first fought Goldencoat. I knock Ripred out with the hilt of my sword and a quick force push get his body safely to a nearby ledge. Then my dark side tainted rager side takes over and with strike after strike I eventually break the sword she was using and, noticing she is pretty much defeated she calls for a retreat and her and the remaining rats flee. The dark side forces me to kill a large fraction of the fleeing rats. Before to many of them are killed, the light side of the force snaps me out of the rager sensation and traps the rager side at the back of my mind. I look at all the Gnawer bodies, concentrated mostly around me, and are reminded of the power of the dark side. I use the force to get Ripred off the ledge and on to a Flier heading to the Regalian hospital because in addition to a possible concussion caused by my sword he also has many small wounds from where me and several gnawers have got him.

At the hospital I visit Ripred and since he is unconscious I sit on a chair and enter a deep Jedi meditation trance. While I am meditating I reach out to Ripred's mind and, using the light side of the force, clear out the start of corruption by the dark side from his mind. The start of the corruption is so deep that, even though I succeed, the effort causes me extreme exhaustion which causes me to exit meditation before I can clear the threads of dark side corruption extending from my rager side from my mind.


	11. Chapter 11

I awaken in a different hospital room nearly covered in bandages, "I see you are are awake," as my vision clears I notice Gregor sitting in a chair near my bed.

"I wasn't injured that badly." I respond sarcastically, noticing all my bandages.

"Apparently you were."

"Where have you been?" I ask him.

"I was on Coruscant visiting my family whom were forced to move there when Abregado-Rae was invaded."

"I have something to tell you. Have you ever wondered who lead the invasion of Abregado-Rae?"

"Yes and I would hate them for my whole life."

Deciding to take the risk I continue, "The first thing you should know is that it was the Triple Arc Fleet who conducted it, my fleet."

"You lead the attack on my second home?!"

"Yes I did, well my first padawan, Tekli lead it but I ordered it."

"Why?"

"Because, I felt sympathetic to their cause. Their homeworld was lost to them long ago.

"So you found them a homeworld?"

"Yes."

"Well, you killed hundreds of farmers and displaced thousands more."

"Well they did attack us," before he can respond an underlander comes in a says "Sir, The Regalian astronomy ship _M31_ is asking for you in the Astronomy Coordination Wing of the palace." Once there a hologram of the captain of the _M31 _comes to life in the center of the room "Hello Minister of Astronomy."

"We have discussed this, call me by my name."

"Yes sorry. I have called you because we have made an interesting discovery on a planetoid near the Din Nebula. We suggest you come as soon as possible."

"I will be there soon." Shortly after cutting of the transmission Cassiopeia and her kids come through the door. "How will you guys like to come with me to the Din Nebula?"

"Sure I have not been there much less them," purrs Cassiopeia.

"Okay great now I only have find Marble." While I am doing preflight tests on the _Phantom-_class attack shuttle _Starbound _Marble comes into the cockpit, "Hello, do you know how to fly a shuttle?"

"Yes my training has been very successful," she responds.

"Good you will be my copilot." Near the end of the checklist Howard and Nike come up to the shuttle, "Marble finish the checklist I'll go see what they are here for."

"Planning a trip?" Howard asks as I come down the ramp.

"Why you want to come?"

"Yeah sure, where you going?" he asks while they follow me up the ramp

"To the Din Nebula." I return to the cockpit and over the ship PA I say, "Please find a seat until we are safely in hyperspace." and with that _Starbound _makes the trip to the surface and then away from Earth. "We are in hyperspace you may now move about the hold. If you look through the forward viewport you will see the blue swirling display of hyperspace."

"We are now exiting hyperspace if you look straight ahead you will see the pretty but highly radioactive Din Nebula. Our destination is a small planetoid just outside the main cloud." Upon arrival I pilot the _Starbound_ into the shuttle bay of the _M31. _Cassiopeia keep aboard the ship and watch the kids. Marble come with me to the surface." We step, along with a science team and the captain, onto a newly acquired teleporter pad and teleport down to the surface in fitted EV suit. On the surface we encounter a large metal ring with steps leading up to it and what looks like a dialing device approximately 10 meters ahead of it.


	12. Chapter 12

"Transport it aboard the _M31_," I order. When we get aboard the vessel I give the order to transport the artifact to Regalia. I gather my group and head back to the city. Once there I turn into my flier form and take Marble to the flier's lands. When I arrive a bat tells me they have located Athena in the firelands being guarded by gnawers. I take my bond as well as Nike and her bond on a rescue mission. It was rather uneventful until roughly two days into the trip Aurora, Luxa, Gregor and a bat he has recently taken to Venus meet up with us at a camp and seeing no other choice I accept their help. About a day later we reach the firelands and sure enough we run straight into the gnawer camp that is holding Athena we manage to take most out but when they realize that we are after their prisoner they start fighting back bitterly, Despite that we manage to kill them all. On the ground she finally recognizes her rescuers "Zach, Aurora, Nike, Venus and their brave riders I thank you." with that she looks back at me and rushes up to give me as good of a hug as you can get from a bat. While doing that and pretty much traps my wings against me and gives a big kiss to me, I look around and notice the shocked faces of everyone but gregor and I simultaneously give a shrug and send a message through the force to everyone saying " I might as well enjoy this." When she finishes we set up a temporary camp in the on the rats where using.

"Hey Marble did you ever have kids?" asks Gregor randomly.

"Yes, I did have a daughter, but she sadly died two years ago."

"What was her name?" I ask curiously.

"Thalia, her name was Thalia." she responded solemnly.

"I think I know how she died and where she was buried would you like to see," put in Gregor.

"Yes, sure." I follow them, more out of curiosity than anything. They come to a pit at the base of a volcano that is partially buried by a two-year-old lava flow.

"This is where we put her she is currently lying under the flow. As to how she died she suffocated in a cloud of poisonous gas from the volcano after investigating something the rats did."

Then she straightened up and said in a determined voice, "I vow to kill all bad Gnawers as they are responsible for the death of my daughter." Out of nowhere there is a slight tremor and my head starts to become fuzzy. It seems I am learning more and more about my bond as each day passes because she never struck me as one who would vow vengeance this must be serious. That is my last clear thought as my small party here all lose consciousness.


	13. Chapter 13

When I wake up I look around and notice that only Me, Gregor, Marble, and Venus are here so they must have been the only ones affected by whatever happened I also notice that we are in a sort of pit. I try to fly out but my wings don't move it is as if they are paralyzed. as the other fliers I ask if they can fly and they all respond with "No". Then as the others wake up a voice comes from the edge of the pit, using echolocation, we see a rat standing there sneering, "Looks like you all are awake."

"Why are we here?" I ask.

"Well we were going for the current king of the fliers and the minister of Regalian astronomy."

"Then why the others?"

"They are just a side effect of the poisonous gases from the volcano being blown towards you four."

"So is that what happened?"

Yes, yes it is."

"Well I bet you didn't expect this." I say as I attempt to turn into Gnawer form but it doesn't let me.

"We actually where expecting that so we made sure to inject you with the wing paralyzer so it would register as an injury to the muscle."

"Well, shit, that blows my whole plan right out of the water."

"We expected this and that reminds me we have something for you. Bring her in."

I am the first to recognize the flier that was just thrown in, "Io? Why are you here?"

"I wanted to help you but I got captured."

"Sounds like something you would do." says Marble who has been unusually quiet throughout this entire thing.

"I guess that completely overturns the old saying 'Like father like son.'"

"Yes, yes that does."

"Well this stinks we are trapped in a pit and I doubt they will feed us much and we have a child in here as well." puts in Gregor

"Lets put a few rules in here then The young get the larger serving as they need more food. If we get out of here we are to only disable not kill, and we must get along well." I get a round of affirmatives in reply. After several days of little food and water Goldencoat comes for interrogation about our plans.

"I see you are not going to talk how about I try other means of getting answers," with that she pulls out a blaster and orders guards to bring Io up to the rim. She aims the blaster at her chest and rests her claw on the trigger, "Now if you don't talk I will see that she has a slow and painful death. If you talk she will have a quick and painless death."

"You will never get me to talk."

"Very well then." She puts a bolt through her left shoulder. Which causes her to lose consciousness.

"No! You little son of a bitch." The dark side breaks through my weakened defenses and takes over. I force leap up out of the pit and effectively disarm Goldencoat, which causes her to run. While I use the blaster to take out the rest of the gnawers and reveal our little secret, I used the force to unparalyze the flier's wings. Once all the gnawers are neutralized the fliers fly us back to Regalia.


End file.
